Starsword
by Shelly3
Summary: A fic done for my friend, Schala85, it's a prequel to her excellent fic, "Night Striker". A Karl romance with some action added, as well as some humor.
1. Chapter One

Author's note: Hi, everyone! This is a fic I'm doing as a favor for Schala85, which takes place before her fic "Night Striker". It takes place just after Prozen was defeated after the war between the Republic and the Empire.  
  
Hope you all enjoy!  
  
Starsword by Shelly  
  
CHAPTER ONE  
  
  
  
The twin moons of Zi bathed the desert landscape with their silvery light, illuminating everything in detail from the smallest stone to the stray wisp of brush that was pushed along by the night breeze. It was a cool night tonight, but then it always was in the desert. It could be scalding hot during the day, but when night came it was the exact opposite. The extreme temperature could be forgiven though when the sky above seemed crowded with every imaginable star alive.  
  
No matter how many times she saw it, Lauren Starsword always felt moved by the desert's silent beauty. The wind that teased through her blue-platinum hair had a melody all its own as it whispered in her ear. Her fuschia eyes picked up all movement around her as she sat with her back to her zoid, a powerful merger between a Blade Liger and a Shield Liger. She had built it herself from the parts of both after they were destroyed in a battle to save her village long ago.  
  
Night Striker it was called, a zoid midnight in color so that it was hard to make out in full darkness. She had developed a special bond with it, and knew that it had done the same with her since it would allow no one else to pilot it.  
  
She sipped her coffee slowly, not wanting the hot liquid to burn her tongue as it had barely finished brewing over the small burner. Lowering the mug, she kept it held in her hands as a way to warm them. The light from the burner flickered across the small scar underneath her right cheekbone, a scar shaped like an upturned claw which she had gotten from that battle. Underneath her other cheekbone was a blue tattoo shaped like a downturned claw, a mark she had inherited from her mother, who had been an ancient Zoidian.  
  
She had no fear of being out here on her own at night. Her father had made sure that she could more than adequately defend herself if the need arose, a skill that had helped her in the military. Now she was on her way back to the Capitol since the Emperor had called for military assistance following the city's destruction. A few select inquiries had been brought forth to monitor any unusual behavior from those who had been loyal to Prozen, the better to head off any attacks before they began. She often wished that she had been chosen to participate, but then a part of her would remind her of how glad she was to be a soldier in the army.  
  
Her only wish had been that she could've been there that day when Prozen had been defeated, if only to have helped bring him down for the deaths of her parents. Either way, she was grateful to the warrior who had defeated him as she was afforded some peace now from the nightmares that had haunted her. Being half-ancient Zoidian, she had been somewhat sensitive to the evil stirring of the Deathsaur's power, and as a result had suffered from numerous nightmares. She had been confused as to why she was having them, but after hearing of the battle she knew then what they had meant.  
  
A light sound nearby drew her attention, and she looked to her right to see a small fox standing nearby, no doubt drawn by the smell of the dried meat which had been her meal for tonight. She watched him silently as he padded back and forth just out of sight, a pair of luminous eyes in the darkness. She picked up a leftover slice and held it up; he stopped and raised his nose to the wind, making a small whining bark.  
  
"You want this, don't you, little guy?" she asked him.  
  
His ears perked up at the sound of her voice as he gazed at her steadily.  
  
"Well, you can't have it," she replied.  
  
He whined and snorted, brushing his paw across his nose.  
  
She stared at him for a moment, then finally relented. "Oh, all right. Here you go," she said as she tossed it his way. "I didn't want it anyway."  
  
He picked it up in his mouth and scampered away.  
  
A smile spread across her face as she watched him leave. "Good idea. I think I'll turn in for the night, too," she told his retreating back. She gathered her things and placed them back inside her pack before turning off the burner and retreating into the warm folds of her sleeping bag. It wasn't long before sleep claimed her in its blanket of dreams.  
  
  
  
The next morning she awoke early and readied herself for the last leg of her journey towards the Capitol. If her luck ran well, she should arrive by evening time, and she looked forward to sleeping in a real bed and eating real food for once. It was amazing at how much the smallest luxuries were taken for granted; out in the wilds it was necessary to know how to fend for yourself in order to stay alive. Thankfully she didn't have to call that a problem.  
  
She climbed inside Night Striker's cockpit, and the zoid started off towards their intended destination after scanning her DNA. It was a safety device she had installed to keep anyone else from stealing her zoid since it possessed a state of the art weapons system. Most of the weapons were basic, a small arsenal of guns, and her claws could be used as well as the demon-like wings that were now folded at its side. At each wingtip were the boosters and the edges of the wings could be used as a blade to slice through a zoid.  
  
But what really gave Night Striker its name was the system she had installed. It consisted of a cloaking device which could render the zoid invisible, assisted by the jamming devices which made her all but invisible to radar. All in all, she felt like she had done a pretty bang-up job with it, and was proud to have it by her side in battle.  
  
  
  
The day passed pretty uneventfully, something she was grateful for, but a part of her missed the days when there was action to be found around every corner. She figured that was because she was still in her military mode of thinking, and since the world had a chance for peace now she would have to begin seeing things in a new light.  
  
Soon the desert was left behind to reveal rolling hills and greener lands with trees and rivers, the sight of the water making her long for a bath to wash all the sand and dust from her clothes. But as she crested a hill and saw in front of her the silhouette of the city, she knew that her needs would soon be taken care of, as well as those of her zoid.  
  
"Come on, Night Striker, let's go."   
  
****************  
  
Well, did you like it? Review and let me know! Thanks for reading!  
  
C-ya! 


	2. Chapter Two

Author's note: Hi, everyone! There seems to be a strange thing happening with the reviews. They're all the same name except for one...and that's Dracou! Aren't you special! And thanks for being my first reviewer on this one! You write wonderfully! Doesn't she, Thomas?  
  
Thomas: *whistles innocently*   
  
Shelly: *pops him on the side of the head* Be nice, Thomas!   
  
Thomas: I didn't say anything!  
  
Shelly: It's what you didn't say that got you in trouble.Now you be nice to Kenji.  
  
Thomas: Sorry! ^^;;  
  
Shelly: All right, now that that's over with, thanks for reviewing! I'm glad you all enjoyed it! So here's the next installment!  
  
Starsword by Shelly  
  
CHAPTER TWO  
  
  
The evening sun's rays stretched across the hills, bathing everything in its luminous golden light as she neared the capitol of the Guylos Empire, or at least what was left of it. The city was a flurry of activity with all the repairs and clean-up being done after the massive destruction caused by the Deathsaur. Zoids from the Empire and Republic alike helped each other, their petty differences forgotten as the entire war had only been a front, masking Prozen's greater ambition for power. The biggest pieces of debris had been cleared, hauled away on great trailers led by an army of Gustavs, and now the smaller pieces were being collected and sent off as well.  
  
As a precaution, all traffic had to check themselves through several guarded points into the city, and she stopped as commanded to identify herself to the soldier. He asked for her identification, and she jumped from her zoid to flash her military ID card at him, allowing him a few moments to verify who she was.  
  
"You are cleared to enter, Lieutenant Starsword," he informed her. "At the Emperor's request, all zoids are to be checked as well upon entering, just to make sure that there's nothing amiss with it."  
  
She eyed him sternly. "Surely, you're not suggesting that I'm carrying anything that can be used against the Empire," she returned calmly. "I have dedicated my life to the service of the Empire, as did my father, General Remik Starsword."  
  
The soldier's eyes widened as he recognizd the name since the General was well known and admired before his death many years ago, being that he had attained the rank of General at the young age of twenty-six. "I apologize, Lieutenant, but the orders came from the Emperor himself. I cannot disobey a direct order from His Majesty."  
  
"As you shouldn't, soldier," came another voice. "Which leads to the question of why anyone would question that order, unless that person has less than honorable intentions for being here."  
  
She glanced up to see who the smooth voice belonged to, and her eyes widened a bit as she looked upon a pair of brothers she had not seen for many years. Anyone would know them immediately from their unnerving green eyes and shock of blond hair as being none other than the Shubaltz brothers, a name that carried just as much weight in the military as her own did. It had been a little less than ten years since she had last seen them, and they had been a couple of gangly teenagers then. But now it seemed that they both had grown into responsible adults...or at least Karl had. For some reason she couldn't imagine Thomas ever being grown up. Maybe it was his insecure nature or boyish cuteness as a result of it, she was unsure why.   
  
But when she looked into the older brother's eyes, she felt a familiar feeling resurface that she had thought long gone. Years ago, she had had a crush on Karl. He had been cute then, and it was obvious that he would grow up to be a heartbreaker one day, but never did she guess that he would look this handsome. She had to fight to remember how to breathe after gazing into his green gaze.  
  
Karl wondered why she was staring at him so intently, but as his gaze swept over her, realization swept over him as he recognized where he had seen those fuschia colored eyes before. "Lauren, is it you?" he asked, forgetting all military protocol for once in his surprise at seeing her after all these years.  
  
Thomas seemed to be more excited to see her as he immediately knew who she was, and quickly stepped forward to catch her in a bear hug. "Lauren, it's so good to see you!" he exclaimed.  
  
She had to fight to breathe this time as his grip threatened to cut off her air supply. "Thomas Richard Shubaltz, put me down this instant!" she cried. He released her, and she coughed as air returned to her lungs.   
  
He stood there with one hand behind his head, an embarrassed smile upon his face. "Sorry about that! It's been so long since we last saw one another. What brings you here?" he asked.  
  
She nearly fell to the ground after hearing the question, and she reached up to grab him in a headlock as she dug her knuckles into his head, giving him a noogie like she used to when she lived with them. "Why else would I be here, you dolt! The same reason why everyone else is here!"  
  
The soldier stood by Colonel Shubaltz, wide-eyed with a sweatdrop running down the side of his face. "Umm, Colonel..."  
  
Karl couldn't help but chuckle to himself. It appears that not even years could ease their constant wars with one another. "It's all right, they've always been like this," he assured him before walking over to them. "All right, you two, that's enough. I believe that the war's supposed to be over?" he suggested.  
  
They split apart, Lauren still eying Thomas with a menacing glare, who stood there looking a bit disheveled. Karl sighed, thankful that the show was over. "Lieutenant Starsword, why were you arguing about having your zoid checked?"  
  
She snapped to attention upon hearing him address her so formally. "Well...you see...umm...the zoid doesn't take too kindly to having someone else inside the cockpit. And it would be defeating the purpose to have me check it for you."  
  
"Oh, I'm sure that it wouldn't mind a minor inspection," Thomas argued, walking over to Night Striker and climbing up into the cockpit.  
  
Lauren's eyes widened a bit. "Wait, Thomas!" she called up.  
  
He looked around him at the controls, looking for all the world like a kid in a candy store. "Wow, look at all this equipment! I've never seen anything like it!"   
  
The controls flared to life. "Commencing check of DNA..." came a voice.  
  
Doubt crept into his eyes. "What the...? Lauren?"  
  
"Thomas, get out of there right now!" she shouted.  
  
"DNA found incompatible...ejecting now."  
  
"Oh, crap!" Thomas exclaimed, screaming bloody murder as he was launched from the cockpit to land in an unceremonious heap at Lauren's feet. "Ughh..."  
  
Karl wore a wide-eyed expression as he looked down at his brother then at Lauren, who had covered her face with her hands and was now peeking out through her fingers. "Would you care to explain, Lieutenant?" he asked calmly.  
  
She could do nothing else except smile sheepishly up at him before glancing down at Thomas. "You all right, Thomas?"  
  
**************  
  
Hee-hee! I love picking on Thomas! Although this was Schala's idea.  
  
Thomas: You mean it was her idea to treat me so terribly? *sob*  
  
Shelly: No, actually it was my idea to have it happen to you. BWAHAHAHA!!!  
  
Thomas: Why me?! Nobody loves me!   
  
Shelly: Thanks for reading! C-ya! 


	3. Chapter Three

Author's note: Hi, everyone! Finally got my power back on! Yay! At least it was only for one day this time. Thanks for all the reviews! I'm giving Ryou a break, Schala, since he's been so good to do my disclaimers for me. ^^ Hope you all enjoy this third installment!  
  
Starsword by Shelly  
  
CHAPTER THREE  
Thomas forgave her as she knew he would, marveling at Night Striker's technology and at the fact that she was able to design it all on her own. She let that one slide as she felt he had been tortured enough for one day, and followed Karl and his brother as they took a quick look around at the destruction around them.  
  
It was a sobering sight, one that was not lost on her as it reminded her of something that had happened to her long ago, and even it had been at the whim of Prozen. Some buildings were lucky enough to still be standing, and they were being checked for structural integrity as the debris was being cleaned up that clogged the streets. Others were a bare memory of what they once were, a shadowy husk surrounded by the constant cloud of dust kicked up by the breeze.  
  
"How could anyone be this insane as to try and wipe out everything at one time?" she asked, more to herself than anyone in particular.  
  
"I think that you of all people shouldn't have to ask that question," Karl replied, fixing his green gaze on her which was filled with sadness. He had spent his entire life in the military so far, defending the Empire which he loved, and for it to be destroyed from within was ironic. He had been trained to believe that the Republic was their enemy, that that was where the threat would come from, but in the end it came from Prozen and his demented ambitions, ending in the total destruction of lives and property.  
  
"No, I guess I don't, do I?" she mused sadly. "That memory has begun to fade now, but the pain of my parent's deaths still remain. This is worse by far than anything, simply because so many more lives were lost, and all in the pursuit of power. So many brave officers gone, as well as those who would've made it far in the military..." She couldn't go any further for the tears that choked off her breathing and ran down her cheeks.   
  
Strong arms around her offered her their support, and she gladly accepted it as she cried out her grief on Karl's shoulder. He stroked her blue-platinum hair gently, his chin resting on top of her head. It had been a long time since he had seen her, and he was pleasantly surprised to see that she had grown into a fine soldier as well as a very attractive woman. And where had that thought come from? It had been so long since he had even bothered to entertain the notion of being interested in someone, he had almost forgotten what it was like.  
  
In school, he had been approached by many girls seeking his attention, but he turned them down as he wished to concentrate solely on his academics and physical training. And when he had come into the military, he had devoted all his energy into becoming the best that he could be, and still he strove towards that goal. But now that he was standing here holding her in his arms, he began to realize that maybe he should think about letting someone into his life. Life was too short to focus on only one goal, and he had done that, in the process letting some things slip through his fingers that would've been worthwhile.  
  
She finally pulled away from him, knowing she must look a mess to him as she wiped her tears away with her sleeve. "I'm sorry, Karl," she said as she looked back up at him. "I didn't mean to go all teary on you."  
  
He smiled to help ease her discomfort. "It's okay. There have been harder hearts than yours that have broken down at the sight of all this." Then he looked off into the distance for a moment. "How about we go and grab something to eat? I imagine you're famished from your long journey."  
  
She brightened a bit at the mention of food. "Sounds good! I am hungry, now that you mention it."  
  
"Great! Come on, Thomas, we're getting something to eat!" he called to his brother, who had walked away to give them some privacy. He started walking off with Lauren following behind.  
  
"Wait for me!" he cried as he ran to catch up with them.  
  
They ended up grabbing what they could from a nearby military command post, a sort of hub where all activity was planned and executed. Food was beginning to become a scarcity, even though some came from the Republic as well as the Empire. The war had taken its toll on the surrounding countryside, and then adding the destruction of the city on top of that there was barely enough to feed everyone. First consideration was given to the elderly then the women and children. All who were in the military could get their rations from a different location so that they didn't have to wait in the long lines that had formed thus far, something they were very thankful for.  
  
What they weren't thankful for were the times when the military would have to be called in to calm down those who would start fights over the simple things such as food and water. People were starving out there, and Rudolph was doing his best to see that everyone was taken care of, but sometimes it wasn't enough and tempers tended to flare a bit.  
  
They took a seat at one of the tables set underneath a large canopy, the shadows around them growing deeper as night claimed the day, and lanterns were lit to chase them away. "So, Lauren, what have you been doing all these years?" Thomas asked her. "The last we saw of you, you were Rudolph's bodyguard, then you seemed to drop off the face of the earth."  
  
"After I left, I found the wreckages of my parent's zoids, and I spent some time working on Night Striker," she began.  
  
"Night Striker?" Thomas echoed.  
  
"My zoid, which you were so informally introduced to," she smirked.  
  
"Oh, right," he groaned, remembering what happened.   
  
"Once I finished it, I became a free-lance mercenary, doing odd jobs for villages that needed help from bandits and such. Then I happened to find some survivors from my home and learned that they were trying to rebuild the village, but didn't have the money. So I used my earnings to help them. Once that was done, I decided to join the military once I heard about the war breaking out between the Republic and the Empire, and here I am."  
  
"You've been pretty busy then," Karl pointed out.  
  
"I have," she agreed. "And what have you two been up to?"  
  
"Well, you know us," Thomas stated. "We both joined the military right out of school just as our father wanted. And I developed this really cool Artificial Intelligence system to install on my Dibison! It's supposed to be even better than an organoid, although I still have some work to do on it. But I should be done with it soon."  
  
She smiled at seeing Thomas' excited expression. He had always been fond of electronics, and some of that had rubbed off on her as a result. "I'd like to see it sometime, Thomas. And what about you, Karl?" she asked.  
  
"Oh, he's been busy going up the military ladder so to speak," Thomas rattled on. "He recently was promoted to Colonel, isn't that great?"  
  
She fixed her gaze on him, intending to say something, but a voice interrupted, calling him away as his Dibison was needed. He left, expressing his apologies to Lauren, and she breathed a sigh of relief that he was gone. "He's a little hyper, isn't he?"   
  
Karl smiled. "He's just excited to see you, that's all," he replied. "While you were staying with us, you kept him company and encouraged his love for machinery. He's never forgotten that."  
  
She returned his smile. "It's nice not to be forgotten," she said. "I'm really proud that you made Colonel. Congratulations."  
  
"Thank you," he said, looking into her eyes for a moment and holding it. They were such a beautiful shade it was hard not to look at them, but he remembered something that Thomas had told him about her long ago and he was searching their depths to see if it was still there. His brother had told him that Lauren had had a crush on him before she left, and he was curious to see if she still felt that way as he wondered if maybe he wasn't developing an interest in her himself.  
  
She wondered what was going on in his mind behind those incredibly green eyes, and thought it best that she didn't know. Looking away, she broke the contact and rose to her feet. "I guess we'd better get going. I've still got to report to my superior officer, once I find out who it is."  
  
Karl rose as well, looking down at her with an amused smile. "You're looking at him," he said.  
  
Her eyes grew wide as saucers. "Oh," was all she had to say.  
********************  
  
Didn't expect that, did she? Thanks for reading! C-ya! 


	4. Chapter Four

Author's note: Hey, it's me again! Sorry I haven't updated this one in awhile!  
  
Bakura: You're pathetic.  
  
Shelly: Hey, that was mean, Bakura. ;_;  
  
Bakura: BWAHAHAHA!!!  
  
Shelly: -_- Just wait until I tell Mau you're being mean again.  
  
Bakura: o_OYou want me to get hurt, don't you?  
  
Shelly: Yep! It'll be fun to watch! Anyway, like I was saying before I was so rudely interrupted, here's the next chapter! I know you'll be happy, Schala, so here it is!  
  
Bakura: No, don't mention that name, please!  
  
Shelly: *evil smile* I just did. Enjoy the next chapter, everyone!  
  
Starsword by Shelly  
  
CHAPTER FOUR  
Lauren felt a little strange at thinking that Karl would be her superior officer, especially since she once had a pretty bad crush on him when she was younger. For all she knew, she could still have one after all these years. Soon she was given very little time to even think about anything since she immediately went to work along with everyone else. She did whatever Night Striker was capable of doing, whether it be helping haul away tons of debris or just merely keeping careful watch over everyone. Just because Prozen was defeated didn't mean they were safe yet. It would be very easy for someone to leak through posing as an Imperial soldier to help with the recovery efforts.  
  
A few times over the next couple of months, Rudolph would make an appearance to check on the progress being made, taking time out to speak with her personally. He was glad to see her, asking her how she was after all these years. It really wasn't all that long ago that she had saved his life from an assassination attempt, but it seemed like much longer after recent events.  
  
Any free time she had was usually spent with Thomas as she was helping him finish working on his Artificial Intelligence system. He had done a really good job until this point, but he was having a little trouble on whether he wanted the voice to be that of a human or something else entirely. Any of the human voices didn't seem entirely right, and he kept trying different sounds such as beeps and other assorted mechanical devices.  
  
She was working on Night Striker one day when she heard the cutest sounding combination of what sounded like a whistling beep. She immediately stopped what she was doing and rushed over to Thomas, who was sitting near his Dibison working on his AI system. "What was that?" she asked.  
  
"What was what?" he asked curiously.  
  
"That sound I just heard," she replied.  
  
"Oh, this?" He played it again, his eyes growing wide when she began giggling like a little girl and fawning all over it.  
  
"Oh, Thomas, that was so cute! You've got to use that one!"  
  
He looked at her like she was crazy. "You can't be serious! I'm not using something like that in my Dibison!"  
  
She straightened up, placing her hands on her hips stubbornly. "And why not? I think it's perfectly fine."  
  
"It sounds so...so..."  
  
She began tapping her foot impatiently. "Yes?"  
  
He gazed up at her with nervous eyes. "Girly?" he finished.  
  
"Thomas Shubaltz, how dare you talk about my idea like that!" she raged, knocking him over and trying her best to wrestle him. She had been quite good at that when they were younger, but since then he had grown and now had the advantage over her in size if not strength.  
  
"All right, Lauren, if that's what you think, then I'll use it!" he finally surrendered.  
  
Her mood changed like the passing of a storm. "Thomas, you're so sweet!" she cooed at him.  
  
"I see you two are still at it," a new voice joined in.  
  
They both looked to see Karl walking towards them, and she rose to her feet to give him a sharp salute. Thomas failed to do so, and he was rewarded by a frown from his brother before he finally remembered to salute him.  
  
"At ease," he told them both, and they all relaxed.   
  
"So what brings you here, Karl?" Thomas asked.  
  
Karl ignored the use of his name as his green gaze was fixed on Lauren. "I was given an invitation to dinner at the Palace, and I wondered if you would like to accompany me, Lieutenant Starsword?"  
  
She was speechless as Thomas went back to what he was doing, leaving them both alone. "I-I would be honored to, Colonel," she replied, wondering what she was going to wear.  
  
A smile spread across his face as he had been a little nervous as to whether she would go or not. "The dinner is a few nights from now, and all of the ranking officers have been invited. Rudolph will be there as well, and he has offered you the luxury of choosing your dress from his mother's wardrobe."  
  
She was speechless beyond words that he would be so generous. Thomas chose at that moment to play the sound for her again, and she shot him an irritated glare for doing so, earning a confused glance from Karl. "Don't ask," she told him. "I am very honored that the Emperor would be so kind," she said.  
  
"He says it is the least he can do for all you have done for him," he explained. "I will expect you in two nights then, Lieutenant," he added as he turned and walked away.  
  
She stood there as if in a daze, Thomas having to shake her back into reality. "I can't believe I'm going out...on a date with my superior officer!" she finished in anguish. "What was I thinking?"  
  
Thomas smiled at her patiently. "You were thinking back to when you were younger," he replied. "Once you had a crush on him, and I think that it's never fully gone away."  
  
"No, perhaps it hasn't, Thomas," she replied. "But I'm going to be there in front of who knows how many people! What if I make a complete fool of myself?"  
  
He took a hold of her by her shoulders and turned her to face him. "You're going to do just fine," he assured her. "You're going to go in there and charm their socks off, and my brother, too. You're going to show them how wonderful you can be."  
  
She smiled hesitantly up at him. "Thanks, Thomas, but I wouldn't put that much hope in me just yet."  
  
"Nonsense," he argued. "Now you are going to go to Rudolph and pick out something lovely that will impress everyone there. I have every bit of faith in you."  
  
She ended up doing as she was told, and ended up picking out a strapless icy lavender dress that complimented her hair color nicely, as well as made her eyes shine brightly. It hugged the curves of her body in soft layers of silk which felt wonderful against her skin. The length had to be taken up since she was shorter than Rudolph's mother had been, but it still looked like it was made for her. Shoes of the same color gave her a little height, and Rudolph even allowed her to pick out a few pieces of jewelry to finish the outfit. She expressed her sincere thanks over and over again, hating that she was forced to borrow everything but having no choice otherwise.  
  
Soon the night of the dinner arrived, and she was once again dressed beautifully in all that she had picked out for the occasion. Her hair had been curled and piled atop her head, leaving some of it spilling down her back in luxurious waves. A touch of makeup in the right places, and she was ready to go just as Karl arrived to escort her to the rather large dining room.  
  
He looked very handsome in his military dress uniform, his vibrant green eyes fixed on her and drinking in her incredible beauty. He had hoped she would impress him this night, and he had been right, although what she looked like didn't matter to him. Over the past few months he had observed her from afar, noting every little thing she did with pride. She was everything a soldier should be, and now he wondered what she was like outside of the military. Tonight would have him finding out his answer.  
  
She watched him walk towards her, her eyes never leaving him as she thought she would never see anything more perfect in her entire life. Here was the moment she had been waiting for, and now she found she could say or do nothing until the moment he offered her his arm, waiting to escort her to dinner. She slid her arm through his, feeling his strength and surety as he led her onward and wishing she could feel the same.   
  
*****************  
  
Ooh, their first date together!  
  
Lauren: Will I get a kiss, I wonder? *starry-eyed*  
  
Shelly: If you play your cards right, you might.  
  
Lauren: I thought that you were writing this story.  
  
Shelly: *anime grin* Oh yeah, I am!  
  
Lauren: *faints* x_x  
  
Thanks for reading everyone! 


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